ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Under the pen-name HARUN YAHYA, the author haspublished many books on political and faith-relatedissues. An important body of his work deals with Judaism,Freemasonry, and the impact of these two forces on theworld history and politics. (The pen-name is formed fromthe names “Harun” and “Yahya” in the esteemed memoryof the two Prophets who struggled against the blasphemyof Jewish thought)

His other works include Judaism and Freemasonry,Freemasonry and Capitalism, Satan’s Religion:Freemasonry, Jehovah’s Sons and the Freemasons, NewMasonic Order, The “Secret Hand” in Bosnia, HolocaustHoax, Behind the Scenes of Terrorism, The Kurdish Cardof Israel, National Strategy for Turkey, For Men ofUnderstanding, The Miracle in the Cell, The Miracle in theEye, The Miracle in the Spider, The Miracle in the Gnat,The Miracle in the Ant, Allah is Known by Wisdom, TheTruth of the Life of the World.

Among his booklets are The Mysteries of the Atom,The Collapse of the Theory of Evolution: The Fact ofCreation, The Collapse of Materialism, The End ofMaterialism, The Blunders of Evolutionist 1, The Blundersof Evolutionists 2, The Microbiological Collapse ofEvolution, The Fact of Creation, The Collapse of the

Theory of Evolution in 20 Questions, The BiggestDeception in the History of Biology: Darwinism.

The author’s other works on Quranic topics include:Ever Thought About the Truth, Devoted to Allah,Abandoning the Society of Ignorance, Paradise, Theory ofEvolution, Knowledge of the Qur’an, Qur’an Index,Migrating for the Cause of Allah, The Character ofHypocrites in the Qur’an, The Secrets of the Hypocrite,Epithets of Allah, Communicating the Message andDisputing in the Qur’an, Basic Concepts in the Qur’an,Answers from the Qur’an, Death, Resurrection, Hell, TheStruggle of the Messengers, The Avowed Enemy of Man:Satan, Idolatry, Religion of the Ignorant, The Arrogance ofSatan, Prayer in the Qur’an, Conscience in the Qur’an, Dayof Resurrection, Do Not Ever Forget, DisregardedJudgments of the Qur’an.

First published 1999© Goodword Books, 1999

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ContentsIntroduction 7

1 Just estimation of Allah 92 Fearing Allah as much as one can 113 Destiny 124 Putting trust in Allah 145 Pondering 166 Being Careful 197 Goodness in all 228 Death is near 259 The Never ending attempts of Satan2810 The Soul is Prone to evil 3011 Being chosen by Allah 3312 Prayer 3513 Repentance and seeking forgiveness3814 Patience till death 4015 Support by Allah 4316 No Desperation for the believers 4717 Evaluating everything from the point of view of the Qur’an

4918 Allah knows the secrets of all hearts 5319 The Temporary Life in this World 5620 The Real Owner of All Possessions 6021 Being grateful to Allah 6422 Our on-going test 6723 Allah does not place a burden greater than one can bear

7024 No love for the unbelievers 7725 Regarding nothing dearer than Allah, His Messenger and

striving in His cause 7526 Neither weakening, Nor despair, nor sorrow 7827 Humbling One's Self in Prayer 8028 Celebrating the Praises of Allah 82

29 Remembering Allah in adversity 8430 Reciting the Revelations of Allah 8631 Avoiding profane talk 8832 Being moderate 9033 The angels are witness 9234 Writing down transactions 9435 Saying something which one will not do 9636 No dispute among the believers 9737 Seeking Allah’s protection from Satan while reading the

Qur’an 9938 Being Considerate 10139 Turning away from the ignorant 10440 Not arguing about things about which one knows nothing.

10641 No Mocking 10842 Not calling believers by nicknames 11043 Being worthy of Trust 11144 The Illusive Universe 113

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Introduction

The moral values of the community we live in arerather distorted. These moral principles which are theproducts of selfish passions and the greed of people,yield then to selfishness, arrogance, sarcasm,rudeness and cruelty. People believe that, in order toimprove their living standards they have to cheat ordeceive others.

However, these are not the values that Allah hasdetermined for the human beings He created. TheQur’an orders people to be dignified, modest,trustworthy, kind, faithful, mature and responsive.The Qur’an even describes the way we should walk:"Turn not your face away from men with pride, norwalk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allahlikes not each arrogant boast" (Surat al-Luqman, 31:18)

On that account, duty of a believer is to applythese superior principles that Allah has decreed.

Yet, today believers live in a miscreantcommunity where these divine ethics have beendeserted. For that reason, they have to be extremelycareful against the perpetrating effects of thisperverted and primitive culture. They mustcontinuously judge themselves within this

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community not to be affected by their degeneratedculture, and to be able to apply the moral values ofthe Qur’an.

This brochure has been prepared to help believersnot to forget the basic teachings of the Qur’an, whichthey should always keep in mind.

In the following pages, these moral principles andprayers that are likely to be forgotten by the believerswill be examined in the light of related verses of theQur’an.

1 Just Estimation of Allah

The Qur’an informs us of the true attributes ofAllah:

“Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep.His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is therecan intercede in His presence except as He permits? Heknows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after orbehind them. Nor shall they compass aught of Hisknowledge except as He wills. His Throne does extend overthe heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue inguarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, theSupreme (in glory).” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:255)

“Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the

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earth the like of them; the decree continues to descendamong them, that you may know that Allah has power overall things and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in(His) knowledge.” (Surat at-Talaq, 65:12)

However, most people not perceiving Allah as Heis described in the above verses, cannot comprehendHis eternal power and greatness. They believe insuperstitions that they have made up themselves,and think that Allah is somewhere far off in theuniverse, and rarely interferes in “earthly matters”.The limited understanding of these people ismentioned in the Qur’an, in Surat al-Hajj, 22:74. “Nojust estimate have they made of Allah: for Allah is HeWho is strong and able to Carry out His Will.”

Having a thorough grasp of the extent of Allah’spower is the first link in the chain of belief. Truebelievers leave behind them the distorted vision ofAllah prevailing in their community, and deny theseperverted beliefs by saying: “There were some foolishones among us, who used to utter extravagant liesagainst Allah.” (Surat al-Jinn, 72:4)

The faithful believe in Allah in the way the Qur’andescribes. They examine the signs of Allah in bothexternal and internal worlds, and thus begin tounderstand the great art and power of Allah.

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But if the believers happen to overlook Allah andfail to ponder deeply on Him and on His Creation,they may start to be influenced by immoral beliefsparticularly at times of difficulty. Allah mentions thisas a potential risk in the verse of Surat Aal-e-Imran,3:154, about the believers who gave up during thewar, and “who were anxious on their own account,thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance.”

A believer would never like to make such amistake, therefore he should free his heart fromeverything that appertains to the beliefs of theignorant, and accept this real faith with all his heartin the way the Qur’an describes.

2 Fearing Allah as much as One Can

To fear Allah is the beginning of all. The more onefears Allah, the more superior does one become in thepresence of Allah. The Qur’an gives the examples ofthe prophets, with whom the believers can comparethemselves so that they may understand that theyreally can increase their fear of Allah.

Allah wants people to fear Him to the greatestpossible extent. Various ways of showing reverencefor the Almighty can be found, for example; spending

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in Allah’s way, doing good deeds, taking the prophetas an example, obeying him, being attentive to therules of Allah etc.

“So fear Allah as much as you can; listen and obey andspend in charity for the benefit of your own soul. Thosesaved from the covetousness of their own souls, are theones that achieve prosperity.” (Surat at-Taghabun, 64:16)

“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared,and die not except in a state of Islam.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran,3:102)

3 Destiny

Nothing in the universe is accidental. As it isstated in the Qur’an: “He regulates all affairs” (Suratar-Ra’d, 13:2). In another verse it is said: “Not a leaffalls but with His knowledge.” (Surat al-Anam, 6:59).It is Allah Who creates and directs all the events; howthey will begin and how they will end. It is againAllah Who determines every movement of every starin the universe, every state of every living thing onEarth, the way one will live, what one will say, whatone will encounter, as expressed in the verses:

“Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (DivinePreordainments of all things before their creation)” (Suratal-Qamar, 54:49)

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“No misfortune befalls on the earth or in yourselves butis inscribed in the Book of Decrees, before We bring it intoexistence. Verily, that is easy for Allah.“ (Surat al-Hadid,57:22)

The believers should be aware of this greatreality,and in consequence, should never actignorantly as those who deny it. Having understoodthat life is just “following destiny”, they neverbecome disappointed or feel afraid of anything. Theybecome confident and firm as the ProphetMuhammad, who told his companion, “Be not sad,surely Allah is with us.” (Surat at-Tawba, 9:40) whenthe latter was apprehensive about being found in thecave by the idolaters who wanted to kill them.

4 Putting Trust in Allah

Since Allah is the only decision-maker, everyhappening is in favor of the believers: everything hasbeen planned for the benefit of religion and for thebelievers' life in the hereafter. Believers can refer totheir past experience to see that there is a good forthem at the end of every event. For that reason,believers put their entire trust in Allah. He is the oneand only Protector. What a believer should do is tobehave as Allah wants him to: fulfilling his

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responsibilities but depending on Allah for theoutcomes. The following verses express this mystery,which is unknown to unbelievers.

“... for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a wayout. And He provides for him from (sources) he never couldimagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is(Allah) for him. Verily, for all things has Allah appointed adue proportion.” (Surat at-Talaq, 65:2-3)

“Say: ‘Nothing will happen to us except what Allahhasdecreed for us: He is our Protector: and in Allah let thebelievers put their trust.’” (Surat at-Tawba, 9:51)

What the believers should say to the unbelieversis also stated in the Qur’an:

“And why should we not put our trust in Allah while Heindeed has guided us our ways. And we shall certainly bearwith patience all the hurt you may cause us, and in Allah(alone) let those who trust, put their trust. (Surah Ibrahim,14:12)

?In another verse, it is said:

“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if Heforsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? Andin Allah (alone) let believers put their trust.” (Surat Al-e-Imran, 3:160)

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5 Pondering

In the Qur’an, it is stated that the unbeliever is onewho neither recognizes nor appreciates the signs ofAllah. The distinguishing mark of a believer is hisability to see those signs and proofs. He knows thatthese are not created in vain, and can realize thepower and great art of Allah everywhere and findways to revere Him. He is one of those men of sense,who "celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting,and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the(wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth,(and say): 'Our Lord! not for naught have You created(all) this! Glory be to You! Give us salvation from thepenalty of the Fire.' ” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:191)

At various points in the Qur’an, expressions like,“will you not take heed?”, “...there is a sign forthinking men,” lay stress on the importance ofpondering upon the signs of Allah. Allah has createdan endless list of subjects for reflection. Everythingwesee and sense in the heavens and on the earth andin between is indeed a manifestation of Allah’screativity and, as such should be food for thought.One of the verses gives the example of these divineblessing of Allah:

“With it He produces for you corn, olives, date palms,

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grapes and every kind of fruit: verily, in this is a sign forthose who give thought.” (Surat an-Nahl, 16:11)

Let us think for a moment of one of the abovementioned items: the date palm. The tree, as is wellknown, grows up from a seed out of the earth. Fromthis tiny seed (a seed is not even 1 cubic centimetre insize), arises an enormous wooden mass of 4-5 metreslong and hundreds of kilograms in weight. The onlything that the seed can use while constituting thisgreat mass is the earth in which it is buried.

How can a seed know how to form a tree? Howcan it "reason" to decompose the necessarysubstances in the soil to create wood? How can itpredict the required shape and structure? This lastquestion is especially important, because it is not anordinary wooden piece that emerges from the seed. Itis a complex living organism with roots forassimilating substances from the earth, with veinsand with branches that are perfectly organized. Ahuman being has difficulty in drawing even a pictureof a tree, while on the contrary a simple seed canproduce such an extremely complex object by merelyusing the substances in the soil.

This observation concludes that a seed isextremelyintelligent and wise, even more so than we

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are. Or to be more precise, there is an amazingintelligence in what a seed does. But what is thesource of that intelligence? How can it be possible fora seed to have such intelligence and memory?

No doubt, this question has a single answer: theseed is created by being endowed with the ability toform a tree, that is, it is programmed so in advance.Every seed on earth is encompassed by Allah andgrows within His knowledge. In one of the verses it isstated:

“With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasuresthat none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on theearth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His knowledge:there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth,nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is(inscribed) in a record clear.” (Surat al-An'am, 6:59)

It is Allah who creates the seed and causes it tospring forth as a new plant. In another verse it is said:

“It is Allah Who causes the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causes the living to issue fromthe dead, and He is the one to cause the dead to issue fromthe living. That is Allah: then how are you deluded awayfrom the truth?” (Surat al-An‘am, 6:95)

The seed is merely one of the numerous signs thatAllah has created in the universe. If men begin to

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think not only with their minds but also with theirhearts, and ask of themselves, the questions “why”and “how”, they will be able to understand that all ofthe universe is the proof of the existence and powerof Allah.

6 Being Careful

As we stated at the beginning, Allah created theuniverse to show the signs of His Creation. However,the unbelievers cannot understand this fact since theydo not have the ability to “see” this divine purpose.As the Qur’an expresses it: “They have eyes withwhich they do not see.” (Surat al-Araf, 7:179). Withtheir materialistic vision, they do not have thewisdom and comprehension to grasp this importantreality.

Believers are quite different from this “blind”category, because they realise and accept that thewhole universe is created by Allah with a certain aimand wisdom. This belief is the first step of faith. Asfaith and wisdom increase in parallel with each other,they will begin to be able to identify every detail ofAllah’s Creation.

In the Islamic tradition, progress in faith is in

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three steps: ilm-el yakin (being informed), ayn-elyakin(seeing), and Hakk-el yakin (experiencing).

An example of rain is given to explain these steps.There are three stages in acknowledging that it rains.In the first stage (ilm-el yakin), while someone sits inhis home, with his windows shut, somebody comingfrom outside tells him that it rains, and he believeshim. The second stage, ayn-el yakin is the stage ofeye-witnessing. The person goes to the window,opens the curtain and sees that it rains. In the stage ofHakk-el yakin, he opens the door, goes out of thehouse, and there he is; "in" the rain.

Being careful is a prayer in action to proceed fromthe stage of ilm-el yakin to the stage of ayn-el yakinand even more.

Seeing the signs of Allah and not being “blind”like the unbelievers, require a high degree ofconcentration. In the Qur'an, the believers are calledto observe and notice the signs of Allah around themand this is only possible by being careful:

“See you the seed that you sow in the ground?Is it youthat cause it to grow, or are We the Cause?” (Surat al-Waqia, 56:63-64)

“See you the water which you drink? Do ye bring itdown (in rain) from the cloud or do We?” (Surat al-Waqia,

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56:68-69)

And Allah states in another verse that the blindcould not be held equal to the seeing and asks "Willyou then consider not?" (Surat al An'am, 6:50)

One should train oneself to recognize the signs ofAllah and should always keep them in mind.Otherwise, the mind will start to wander, jumpingfrom one topic to another, wasting time in thinkingabout useless things. This is a kind ofunconsciousness; you cannot control your mindwhen you lose your concentration in Allah. Youcannot focus on a subject. Indeed, you cannotconceive the truth behind events, nor can you everhave the competence to affect the course they take.On the contrary, your mind is directed by strayhappenings. You are “bewildered” all the time, whichis not the attribute of the believer, but of theunbeliever.

“... if anyone assigns partners to Allah, it is as if he hadfallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or thewind had swooped and thrown him into afar-distant place.”(Surat al-Hajj, 22: 31)

Believers, on the other hand, are the ones whodirect their minds better to perceive Allah, and whotry in better ways to serve His religion. They free

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their minds from any vain thoughts, and wheneverthey become aware of the appeal of Satan, they rescuethemselves, just as is described in the Qur’an;

“Verily, those who are the pious, when an evil thoughtcomes to them from Satan, they remember Allah, and(indeed) they then see (aright)”.(Surat al-A’raf, 7:201)

Therefore, the believers should be careful to keeptheir minds free of useless thoughts, and never losethe thread of what is happening around them, theyshould always be on their guard.

7 Goodness in All

All things are created with wisdom and with anulterior purpose. In consort with this ulteriorpurpose, there are benefits for the believers in allhappenings. Because Allah is on the believers’ sideand does not let them down.

Encounters in life may at first seem unfavourablefor the believers. However, one should understandthat even seemingly dire events, for example, a plotof hatched against them by the unbelievers, willultimately turn out well for them. Allah will sooneror later let them savour His beneficence so, believersshould be completely sure that there is goodness in

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all.

There are many examples of this kind of situationin the Qur’an; the life of Yusuf (Joseph) is one of themost remarkable. In his childhood, Yusuf had beenthrown down to the bottom of a well by his brothers.He was later rescued and then accused andimprisoned, even though he was innocent. For aperson withoutfaith, these incidents may be thoughtof as the greatest misfortunes. Nevertheless, Yusufalways kept in mind that these could only happenunder Allah’s direction and that all would certainlyturn out for the better. And this proved to be true.Allah turned the “disasters” to good account; Yusufwas released from prison and in time became one ofthe governors of that land.

The situation with Yunus (Jonah) was no different.He fled to a laden ship, where, to retain his place, hedrew lots. When the draw proved unfavourable, hewas thrown into the sea where he was swallowed bya gigantic fish. The Qur’an informs us that he wasrescued and was sent to a “nation a hundredthousand men or more,” only because he hadglorified Allah.

“Had he not been of them who glorify Allâh, He wouldhave indeed remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day

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of Resurrection. But We cast him forth on the naked shorewhile he was sick, And We caused a plant of gourd to growover him. And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people)or even more. And they believed; so We gave themenjoyment for a while.” (Surat as-Saaffat, 37:143-148)

All these examples given in the Qur’an teach usthat the events which seems to be a “misfortune” arenot really so for the believer. If he puts his trust inAllah, seeks refuge in Him and asks help only fromHim, then nothing will be a matter of regret for him.Allah does create certain difficulties, but they are onlyto put man to the test and to strengthen believers’loyalty and faith.

The opposite holds true for the unbelievers.Nothing in this life can be good for them. Things thatstrike them as delightful or pleasant are indeed“misfortunes”, and these will increase their tormentin the Hereafter. Anything that they achieve unjustlyis entered in their record, and for this they willultimately be responsible. On this score the Qur’anrecords Allah’s commandments:

“And let not those who covetously withhold of thatwhich Allah has bestowed on them of His Bounty think thatit is good for them. Nay, it will be worse for them; the thingswhich they covetously withheld shall be tied to their neckslike a collar on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah

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belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allahis Well–Acquainted with all that you do.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:180)

8 Death is near

The members of the profane society are basicallyignorant, negligent and shallow. Their lives are notbased on common sense or logic. On the contrary,they live with vain and false beliefs, and followconjectures that end with fallacies. One of these istheir belief about death. They believe that death issomething even not to be thought about.

What they really expect is to escape from it byignoring it. By not thinking about it, they believe thatthey can elude it. But this is just like the ostrich whoputs her head in the sand in order to escape from thedanger. Ignoring danger does not make it disappear.On the contrary, the person at risk will certainlyencounter danger, but without having made anypreparations for it, will, in consequence receive amuch bigger shock— unlike the believers whoponder on and prepare themselves for this importantreality, the truth of which has been experienced by allthepeople who have ever lived. Allah, therefore,

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admonishes the unbelievers in the following verse:

‘The death from which you flee will surely meet you,then you will be sent back to (Allah), the All-Knower of theunseen and the seen, and He will tell you the things that youdid.” (Surat al-Jumua, 62:8)

Death is not a “disaster” which should beforgotten, but an important lesson that teaches peoplethe real meaning of life. It should therefore be thesubject of profound thought. The believers ponderdeeply on that great reality with sincerity andwisdom. Why do all people live for a period of timeand then die? All created beings are mortal, and thisshows that they are powerless and unable servants ofAllah. Allah is the only owner of life; all creatureshave come to life by Allah’s Decree and willultimately die by Allah’s Decree. On this the Qur’andeclares: “All that is on earth will perish: But willabide (Forever) the Face of your Lord,- full of Majesty,Bounty and Honour.” (Surat ar-Rahman, 55:26, 27)

Everyone will die, but none can predict whereand when that will be. Nobody has any guaranteethat he will be alive the next minute. Thereforebelievers should behave as if they are to die at anymoment. Thinking about death will help believersincrease their sincerity and fear of Allah and they will

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always remain conscious of what awaits them.

In the Qur’an, the significance of keeping death inmind is expressed in the following verse:

“We granted not to any human being immortality beforeyou, then if you die, would they live forever? Every soul shallhave a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by goodby way of trial. To Us you will be returned.” (Surat al-Anbiya, 21:34-35)

9 The Never-Ending Attempts of Satan

When Allah created Adam and commanded theangels to prostrate themselves before him, they allprostrated themselves except Satan, whothenceforward was cursed. Satan’s response was toask Allah for a reprieve till the Day of Resurrection.This was so that he would have the opportunity tomake people transgress. Once reprieved by Allah, hecommitted himself to a course of action intended toderail mankind:

“He said: ‘Because You have sent me astray, surely I willlie in wait against them (human beings) on Your StraightPath. Then I will come to them from before them and behindthem, from their right and from their left, and You will notfind most of them as thankful ones’” (Surat al-A‘raf, 7:16-17)

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“ ’I will mislead them, and I will create in them falsedesires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and tochange the nature created by Allah.’ Whoever, forsakingAllah, takes satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered aloss that is manifest.” (Surat an-Nisa, 4:119)

One who is unaware of the menace of Satan,cannot protect himself against him and can easily bedeceived by him. Therefore, believers should be fullyalert to Satan, as is commanded in the Qur’an:

“Verily Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as anenemy. He only invites his adherents, that they may becomeCompanions of the Blazing Fire.” (Surah Fatir, 35:6)

Those who should be the most cautious aboutSatan are the believers, because it is they who areSatan’s actual targets. There is no need for him to tryto make the unbelievers transgress; because theyhave already turned out to belong to his own army.He, therefore, strives to the utmost to weaken thebelievers so as to prevent them from serving Allah.That is why believers are particularly warned againstSatan:

“O you who believe! Follow not Satan’s footsteps: if anywill follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) commandwhat is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the graceand mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever havebeen pure: but Allah doth purify whom He pleases: and

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Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things).” (Surat an-Nur, 24:21)

As Allah says in the Qur’an, true believers will notbe affected by the activities of Satan. But those whoare weak and heedless may be easily influenced byhis delusions. Never should we forget that Satan isceaselessly striving to promote evil. Believers shouldalways be on their guard and keep Allah in mind atall times.

10 The Soul is Prone to Evil

Another enemy that we should guard against iswithin ourselves. Allah has inspired in people bothgood and evil. The evil inspiration in us alwaysworks for Satan. The Qur’an explains the two sides ofour souls:

“By the soul and Him Who perfected it in proportion andinspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it. Trulyhe succeeds that purifies it. And he fails that corrupts it!”(Surat ash-Shams, 91:7-10)

People should be aware of this evil in themselvesand always be on guard against the danger. Denyingthis evil side of our souls will not help us to escapefrom it, and we should try to purify it as is laid down

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in the Qur’an.

Believers should never, therefore, claim that theyare entirely pure, but be wary of the vain provocationof their souls. The admission of Yusuf (Joseph): ‘“Nordo I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soulis certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord bestows HisMercy: but, surely, my Lord is Oft-forgiving, MostMerciful,”’ (Surah Yusuf, 12:53) should always beborne in mind as a good example of the appropriateattitude.

People should carefully watch out for the foiblesof the soul and do good and practice self-restraint, asin another verse it is averred that “men’s souls areswayed by greed.” (Surat an-Nisa, 4:128) What thatgreed may lead men to, is also stated in the Qur’an. Itwas the soul of one of Adam’s sons that promptedhim to murder his brother: “The (selfish) soul of theother led him to the murder of his brother: hemurdered him, and became (himself) one of the lostones.” (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:30). It is the same propensityto evil that made Samiri lead Moses’ people astray inhis absence. Samiri says “...thus did my soul suggestto me.” (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:96)

The only way to attain salvation is by curbing the

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evil of the soul:

“Those saved from the covetousness of their own souls,they are the ones that achieve prosperity.” (Surat al-Hashr,59:9)

“And as for him who fears to stand in the presence ofhis Lord and forbids the soul from low desires, the Gardenwill be his home.” (Surat an-Nazi’at, 79:40-41)

The struggle with one's soul is the biggeststruggle for a believer. The believer has to check uponhimself to decide which of his emotions and wishesare acceptable and which are evil. He has to standagainst the evil instigations of his soul such asselfishness, jealousy, arrogance and greed.

Our souls shall cause us to entertain vain desiresand passions. They whisper to us that we will besatisfied when we gain more money, and to have ahigher status. However, these pleasures never satisfythe believer in any real sense. The more money wehave, the more we will want to have. In many ways,our souls will lead us to act just like insatiable wildanimals.

Our souls can only be satisfied if we devoteourselves to Allah, and not to our own shallowdesires. We are created to be the servants of Allah:“...for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do

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hearts find satisfaction.” (Surat ar-R’ad, 13:28).Nothing else can give peace and satisfaction.

That is why only true believers have completelysatisfied souls, because they keep themselves awayfrom evil, guard against the depravity of their soulsand dedicate themselves to Allah.

“To the righteous soul the Almighty will say: 'O soul, in(complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back to your Lord,well pleased (yourself), and well-pleasing unto Him! Enteryou, then, among My devotees! Enter you my Heaven!' "(Surat al-Fajr, 89:27-30)

11 Being Chosen by Allah

If we cannot determine our physical appearance,neither can we determine our destiny. It is only AllahWho determines the birth of a man, his community,his family and the experience he will havethroughout his life. It is again Allah Who inspires inus wisdom and good sense.

Even our faith in Allah does not depend on ourown characteristics. Again it is Allah, the One andOnly, Who grants us faith. He is the One Who guides,teaches and trains. As Musa (Moses) said in reply to aquestion put by Pharaoh: “Our Lord is He that gave

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to each thing its form and nature and further, gaveguidance.” (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:50)

Therefore, believers are the ones who have beensingled out for Allah’s favour: “Your Lord creates andchooses as He pleases: no choice have they (in thematter)” (Surat al-Qasas, 28:68)

Those who go to hell are the people who fullydeserve it, because they have rebelled against AllahWho created them and in feeling the wrath of Allah,they receive their just deserts. As for those who areadmitted to paradise, Allah grants them His blessingsand forgives their sins.

The believers must understand how wonderful itis to have been chosen by Allah, and must be gratefuland praise Allah with all their hearts for what He hasgiven them in His munificence. They shouldappreciate that they have been chosen from amongmillions of people and that they are the few blessedservants of Allah to be selected and set apart from acommunity whose members face perdition. Theentire conduct of the believers should reflect thehonour of this great privilege. Allah describes thosewho face perdition thus:

“By (the Token of) Time. Verily man is in loss. Except

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those who have faith and do righteous deeds, andrecommend one another to truth, and recommend oneanother to patience” (Surat al-‘Asr, 103:1-3)

Is there a higher honour than that of beingrescued and exalted above all others by the Lord ofthe Universe?

12 Prayer

In one verse, the importance of prayer is statedthus:

“Say: My Lord would not care for you were it notfor your prayer“ (Surat al-Furqan, 25:77)

Prayer is the way to call on Allah; indeed, it is oneof the most important characteristics that distinguisha believer from an unbeliever. Prayer is a significantindicator of one's faith in Allah.

Most of the people may think that there is nodivine control on the universe and everything isinteracting independently. However, what they donot know is that every soul in the heavens and on theearth has already submitted to Him; there is nocreature whose destiny is not determined by Allahand who is not obedient to Him. When He decrees a

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thing, He only says, “Be,” and it is (Surat al-Baqara,2:117).

The unbelievers do not understand thissubstantial fact and spend their whole life by tryingto affect this universe made up of imaginary matters.The believers, on the other hand, learn this greatmystery of the universe from the Qur’an. They areaware that the only way to obtain the things theywant is to ask them from the One Who controls them.They know that Allah is the Creator and Director ofall things:

“When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeedclose (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliantwhen he calls on Me: Let them also listen to My call, andbelieve in Me: That they may be led aright.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:186)

However, it should also be understood thatAllah's answering to prayers is not necessarily gibingall that is wanted from Him. For man is ignorant andhe “prays for evil as he prays for good; for man isever hasty.” (Surat al-Isra, 17:11) So Allah answers toall our prayers, but sometimes gives what is wanted,and sometimes not, since it is in truth, "evil".

The way we should pray is also defined in theQur’an: with humility and in private, in all sincerity,

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having hope but also fear of Allah in our hearts, andwith strong concentration:

“Call on your Lord with humility and in private: ...., callon Him in fear and hope: for the Mercy of Allah is alwaysnear to those who do good.” (Surat al-A‘raf, 7:55-56)

In another verse it is said that “the most beautifulnames belong to Allah: so call on Him by them”(Surat al-A‘raf, 7:180)

Our prayers are actually a matter of confessingour weakness while showing our gratitude towardsAllah. Abstaining from prayer shows arroganceandrebellion against Allah. Allah states in His book:

"Call on Me; I will answer your prayer: but those who aretoo arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell -in humiliation!”(Surat al-Ghafir, 40:60)

Calling on Allah is both a prayer and also a greatblessing. This very simple act of making a request isthe key to attaining all physical and spiritualobjectives.

13 Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness

Two of the most repeated names of Allah in theQur’an are, “Compassionate” and “Merciful”. Allah

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is very truly merciful to His servants and does notpunish them at once for their sins:

“And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving(living) creature, but He postpones them for an appointedterm and when their term comes, neither can they delay norcan they advance it an hour (or a moment).” (Surat an-Nahl, 16:61)

By reprieving them, He gives wrongdoers time toask for forgiveness and to repent. No matter howimportant the sin one commits, one always has theopportunity to be forgiven if one repents and behavesrighteously:

“When those who believe in Our signs come to you,Say: ‘Peace be on you: Your Lord has written Mercy forHimself, so that, if any of you does evil in ignorance,andthereafter repents, and amends (his conduct), thensurely He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.’ ” (Surat al-An‘am, 6:54)

Repentance also includes an appeal for supportand strength from Allah to help the wrongdoers notto repeat the same misdeeds. The form of repentanceaccepted by Allah is one that is followed by gooddeeds: “And whoever repents and does good hastruly turned to Allah with an (acceptable)conversion” (Surat al-Furqan, 25:71)

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Sometimes an individual may commit the samesin as a result of his soul’s provocation, even afterrepentance. But this is not an excuse for him not torepent again. He may repent for his evil deeds allthroughout his life. And it should be rememberedthat, it will not be accepted only if one repents whendeath comes and one begins to dread one’s fate in theHereafter.

“Allah accepts the repentance of those who do evil inignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them Allah willturn in mercy: for Allah is ful l of knowledge andwisdom."(Surat an-Nisa, 4:17)

"Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue todo evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, ‘Now Ihave repented indeed’, nor of those who die rejecting Faith:for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous.”(Surat an-Nisa, 4:18)

Another verse calls all the believers to salvation:“Believers! turn all together towards Allah, so thatyou may attain Bliss.” (Surat an-Nur, 24:31)

14 Patience Till Death

People are created impatient, and, as a result,make various mistakes. However, religion requireseveryone to be patient for the sake of Allah. Believers,

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in particular, should patiently await the greatsalvation that Allah promised. This is how thebelievers are commanded in the Qur'an: “Be patientfor the sake of your Lord” (Surat al-Muddaththir, 74:7).Patience is indeed one of the most important qualitiesin the struggle to reach Allah; it is the virtue oneshould cultivate in order to be closer to Him.

“O you who believe! Persevere in patience andconstancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other;and fear Allah; that you may prosper.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran,3:200)

In the community of the ignorant, the realmeaning of patience is mixed up with endurance.However, endurance has a very different messagewhich is forbearing against pain or distress. Yet,patience isentirely different as described in theQur’an. This difference can only be comprehended bythe believers. The perseverance of the believer is forgaining the pleasure of Allah. Therefore, if givesdelight to the believers, whilst “endurance” givesonly annoyance and distress to the unbelievers. TheQur’an expresses this as: “Seek (Allah's) help withpatient perseverence and prayer: It is indeed hard,except to those who bring a lowly spirit.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:45)

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Another verse from the same surah emphasizesthe glad tidings to be given to those who are patientin the face of obstacles or difficulties.

“Be sure we shall test you with fear and hunger, someloss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but giveglad tidings to those who patiently persevere, who say,when afflicted with calamity: ‘To Allah We belong, and toHim is our return.’” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:155-156)

Patience is such a superior characteristic that itcan increase the strength of the believers. Allahreveals in below verse how strength may increasewith respect to patience:

“For the present, Allah has lightened your (burden), forHe knows that there is a weak spot in you: But (even so), ifthere are a hundred of you, patient and persevering, theywill vanquish two hundred, and if a thousand, they will, withthe leave of Allah, vanquish two thousand, for Allah is withthose who patiently persevere.” (Surat al-Anfal, 8:66)

Patience is, moreover, a quality that subsumes allthe other positive characteristics described in theQur’an. A person may be modest, humble, generous,obedient or devoted; but only when he combinesthese virtues with patience, will they be of worth. It isthe patience shown in the prayers and the attributesof believers, that makes them acceptable.

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Patience pervades the whole life of the believers,who obey the decree: “Be patient for your Lord’ssake” Finally, Allah takes their souls and rewardsthem with His Paradise. Angels at the gates bidwelcome to the righteous, saying: “Peace be on youfor that you persevered in patience: Now, howexcellent is the final home!”. (Surat ar-Ra’d, 13:24)

15 Support by Allah

In profane society, people develop their charactersaccording to the power or status they possess. For theindividual to be self-confident, he must be either veryrich or famous, or beautiful or handsome. Being theson or daughter of a “respected” man is also animportant reason for self-confidence in a purelyignorant community.

However it is quite a different matter for thebelievers. This is because the believers rely forsupport on no one but Allah, attach no importance toany of the worldly criteria that the unbelievers follow.

Allah is always the supporter of the believers. Henever lets them down in the face of opposition fromthe unbelievers. “Allah has decreed: ‘It is I and Mymessengers who must prevail’ ”(Surat al-Mujadila,

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58:21), so the messengers and those who follow themwill triumph with this great support. Allahguarantees: “If they intend to deceive you, Allah issufficient for you. He it is Who has strengthened youwith His help and with the believers.” (Surat al-Anfal,8:62)

It should never be forgotten that it is only Allahwho strengthens and improves the believers andenables them to succeed. It is not enough just todepend on physical cause and effect. These canachieve nothing, except being prayers in action. Ofgreater avail is verbal prayer, for it is in response toprayer, that Allah produces the desired results. Thatis why the believers have to rely solely on the supportof Allah.

As a result, they become so courageous andconfident as to challenge the world. They become toostrong to be affected by any negative thought oraction. Musa (Moses), who did not lose heart whileall his people transgressed, said: “If you showingratitude, you and all earth together, yet is Allahfree of all wants, worthy of all praise.” (Surah Ibrahim,14:8) .

Musa was that confident and fearless, because he

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was certain that Allah and His support were alwayswith the believers. Allah had once revealed to him:“Fear not! for you indeed have the upperhand.”(Surah Ta-Ha, 20:68)

Musa’s attitude should definitely be an exampleto all the believers. For Allah has promised to protectand support not only Musa and other messengers,but all believers—every one them—against theunbelievers, and lead them to triumph. As stated inthe Qur’an;

“...never will Allah grant to the unbelievers a way(to triumphs) over the believers.” (Surat an-Nisa,4:141)

The believers are responsible for merelymaintaining their devotion to Allah and being goodservants of Him. When this is the case, they will havenothing to fear.

“O you who believe! Guard your own souls: If you follow(right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those whostray; to Allah is your return, it is He that will show you thetruth of all that you do.” (Surat al-Maida, 5:105)

Unbelievers can never do harm to the righteous.All plans and plots made against the believers will beuseless. In the verse below, this mystery is explained:

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“Mighty indeed were the plots which they made, buttheir plots were (well) within the sight of Allah, even thoughthey were such as to shake the hills!” (Surah Ibrahim,14:46)

While unbelievers plot against believers, in realityAllah "draws them near to destruction by degreesfrom whence they know not." (Surat al-A’raf, 7:182).They suppose that they are superior to the believersand can easily beat them. However, Allah is on thebelievers’ side and His Power, Glory and Greatnessare manifest to them. The Qur’an expresses this truth,which cannot be comprehended by the hypocrites, asfollows:

“They are the ones who say, ‘Spend nothing on thosewho are with Allah’s Messenger, to the end that they maydisperse.’ To Allah belong the treasures of the heavens andthe earth; but the Hypocrites understand not. They say, ‘Ifwe return to Medina, surely the more honourable will expeltherefrom the meaner.’ But honour belongs to Allah and HisMessenger, and to the Believers; but the Hypocrites knownot.”(Surat al-Munafiqoon, 63:7-8)

This is definitely an unchangeable rule. Believers,in accordance with the verse, “O you who believe!Take your precautions...” (Surat an-Nisa, 4:71), shallalways be careful and cautious of unbelievers, butfeel the comfort of the above divine rule.

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Allah explains the same rule in another verse:

“Those who reject Allah, hinder (men) from the Path ofAllah, and resist the Messenger, after Guidance has beenclearly shown to them, will not harm Allah in the least butHe will make their deeds of no effect.” (Surah Muhammad,47:32)

16 No Desperation for the Believers

There are two kinds of hopelessness. The firstkind arises when confronted with difficulties orobstacles. Such should not be the conduct of abeliever. He should always keep in mind that Allahhas promised to give support to the believers. TheQur’an states that Allah is sufficient for the believersand that He has strengthened the believers with HisAid.

The second kind of despair is more dangerous,which is giving up hope of Allah’s mercy aftermaking a mistake or committing a sin. Because thismay lead to the thought that Allah will not forgiveone’s sins and that one will necessarily go to hell. Butthis idea—a mere apprehension—is quite theopposite of what we are taught by the Qur’an.Indeed, Allah forgives the sins of all those who

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sincerely repent. It is never “too late” for seekingrefuge in His mercy. Allah addresses His servantsthus:

“O my Servants, who have transgressed against theirsouls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgivesall sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat az-Zumar, 39:53)

Despair is the temptation of Satan. Satan tries toinfluence believers by demoralizing them and thusdragging them down to commit more seriousmistakes. His aim is to lead the believers to suspecttheir own faith and sincerity, to make them think thatthey are “fakes”. If a person falls into this trap, he willstart to lose his self-respect and consequently his faithand will go on to commit bigger sins after that firstmistake.

In such a state of mind, believers shouldimmediately seek refuge in Allah, think only ofQur’an’s teachings and immediately develop a newframe of mind. The Qur’an describes what thebeliever must do in such cases.

“And if an evil whisper comes to you from Satan, thenseek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower.”(Surat al-A’raf, 7:200)

If the individual is sincere in his faith in Allah,

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Allah forgives him even if he has made mistakes orcommitted sins. Furthermore, even if he has beeninsincere for a long time, he still has the chance torepent. It is just a trick of Satan that makes him giveway to despair. For Allah is the One Who showseternal mercy and justice and the One Who promisesvictory and His Paradise to the believers. The adviceof Yakub (Jacob) should be a guide for all thebelievers:

"...never give up hope of Allah’s Soothing Mercy: truly,no one despairs of Allah’s Soothing Mercy, except thosewho have no faith.” (Surah Yusuf, 12:87)

17 Evaluating Everything from the Point of

View of the Qur’an

The aim of life for a believer is solely that of beinga servant of Allah. People are not created to fulfiltheir vain desires and greed, or to pursue theirpassions; the one and only reason for our creation isto serve Allah.

The way to achieve this is by taking the Qur’an asour unique guide. We should give all our attention toapplying every decree of the Qur’an. Our targetshould be to observe every decree of the Qur'an as

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much as possible.

We can see from the Qur’an that the responsibilityof the believers rests not only on decisive verses, suchas those on regular prayers, fasting or hajj but also onprayers that require interpretation. For instance, inone verse believers are urged to “invite (all) to theWay of their Lord with wisdom and beautifulpreaching; and argue with them in ways that are bestand most gracious” (Surat an-Nahl, 16:125). Thebelievers can understand this “wisdom and beautifulpreaching” by both applying the Qur’an’s generallogic and manner, and also their own wisdom andunderstanding.

There are many other responsibilities that requirewisdom and understanding. For example, the Qur’andescribes various models of communities, andinforms us of the way we should treat those differentkinds of people. And what should be said to thosepeople is mostly mentioned in the Qur’an in theverses beginning with, “Say...”.

The verses that advise believers how to behaveare clearly described in the Qur’an. But if theseprecepts are to be applied to daily life, instantrecognition of their true significance is a must. At this

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point, it is the wisdom and understanding of thebelievers that help.

The Qur’an describes various kinds of people,such as believers, Christians, Jews, hypocrites andpagans. We must learn the concerned verses verywell, because what actually should be done is toidentify those kinds of people in our society and acttowards them as the Qur’an commands. This isinevitable for being a “living Qur’an”.

Moreover, believers should realize that all thepeople around us undoubtedly belong to one or moreof the categories of people described in the Qur’an.All the people exist to form the society described inthe Qur’an and none is created in vain:

“Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and theearth and all that is between!” (Surat al-Anbiya, 21:16)

However, it is not only the people around us thatare described in the Qur’an. In fact, everything thatwe see and everything that happens are indeedreflections of what is written in the Qur’an.

“Soon will We show them our Signs on the horizons,and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to themthat this is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lordwitnesses all things?” (Surah Fussilat, 41:53)

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The whole universe consists of signs of Allah. Justlike a painting presents its painter to the on-lookers,just like every detail on this painting shows the brushprints of the painter, all the universe and every detailof this universe exist to present Allah, the Creator ofall things. The more believers realize this fact, themore will they recognize Allah and painstakinglyobey all His decrees. As one comprehends that lifewith all its details, is actually a “sign” as defined inthe Qur’an, one will relate everything at every stageof one’s “daily life” to the values of the Qur’an.

Everything takes place in accordance with thedestiny Allah has determined and therefore,everything has a purpose. What believers should dois interpret each event in the light of the Qur’an andreact in the way the Qur’an prescribes. For examplewhen encountered with something “vain” and idle,the believer should pay no heed to it. But the fact is;this vain thing is already created so that the believerpays no heed to it. The believers should interpretevery happening according the perspective of theQur’an. So, they actually must develop their cultureand characteristics in conformity to the Qur’an, howAllah decrees. In order to achieve this, they mustleave all they have attained from their ignorant past

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and society. They should decide what to do in everycircumstance by depending on the interpretation andlogic of the Qur’an, because, the words of Allah showthem the way to handle each situation. As it is said inthe Qur'an, it was sent down to us as a Book“explaining all things” (Surat an-Nahl, 16:88).

18 Allah knows the secrets of all hearts

The most basic characteristic of the unbelievers istheir insincerity. They are insincere to Allah, to otherpeople and even to themselves. Although when theybehave warmly to people in the face for the sake oftheir interests, they can easily feel at the same timehatred or jealousy for them. As a matter of fact, theirinsincerity is also to their own selves. Although theyclearly witness the wrongness and evil of their deeds,they push this reality back into their subconsciousand act as if they were entirely perfect and right.

At the basis of this insincerity there lies theassumption that nobody will know about the secretthoughts they have in their hearts. So, the quilty mayact as if they were not so, despite their sins or wrongdoings. Actually, in an ignorant society, people reallydo not know what the actual thoughts of others are,

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and they never consider that Allah knows allthethoughts and secrets of all hearts. Thesubconscious mind is also included in thisknowledge, even if the individuals do not themselvesknow what lies there. Allah states this fact in thefollowing verses:

“He knows what is in the heavens and on earth; and Heknows what you conceal and what you reveal: and Allahknows well the secrets of all hearts.” (Surat at-Taghabun,64:4)

“Whether you hide your word or publish it. He certainlyhas full knowledge of the secrets of all hearts. He is the Onethat understands the f inest mysteries and is well-acquainted with them.” (Surat al-Mulk, 67:13-14)

Nobody, therefore, can speak outside theknowledge of Allah, for He is the One Who has fullknowledge of the secrets of all hearts. In the Qur’anthis fact is revealed as:

“Do you not see that Allah knows all that is in theheavens and on earth? There is not a secret consultationbetween three, but He makes the fourth among them, - norbetween five but He makes the sixth- nor between fewer normore, but He is in their midst, whersoever they be. In theend will He tell them the truth of their conduct, on the Dayof Judgment. For Allah has full knowledge of all things.”(Surat al-Mujadila, 58:7)

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This being so, it is not possible to hide anythingfrom Allah. Allah knows not only all the deeds butalso all the thoughts of all people, including those oftheir subconscious, which they are largely unawareof. This is emphasized in the following verse:

“It was We Who created man, and We know whatdarksuggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer tohim than his jugular vein.” (Surah Qaf, 50:16)

In these circumstances, the eventual behavior ofthe believers should be complete sincerity andmodesty before Allah. Since Allah has created andalreadyknows all beings, it is insensible to act in anartificial manner before Allah. One should sincerelyuncover all one’s weaknesses, faults, wrongdoingand defects in one’s faith to Allah, and ask for Hishelp and mercy.

The prophets are the best examples for theirsincerity to Allah. The Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)prays to Allah and says “Show me, Lord, how Youwill raise the dead.” And when Allah replies: “Haveyou no faith?” he says ”Yes, but just to reassure myheart.”(Surat al-Baqara, 2:269) This is how thebelievers confess their weaknesses to Allah and askfor forgiveness only from Him. Similarly, when Allahcommands the Prophet Musa (Moses): “Go to

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Pharaoh!” he says, “O my Lord! I have slain a manamong them,and I fear lest they slay me,” (Surat al-Qasas,28:33) and asks for help and strength fromAllah. This honesty of the Prophets to Allah showhow the believers should behave.

Before one comprehends that one is weak anddependent upon Allah, one cannot attaincharacteristics like strength, modesty, faith andcourage by only pretending to possess them, because“...man was created weak” (Surat An-Nisa, 4:28) inorder to understand his weaknesses before Allah.Therefore, one should be very truthful and devotedto Allah and expose all one’s faults and sins to Himbefore asking for forgiveness.

19 The Temporary Life in this World

Man is placed on earth only for a very short time.There, he will be tested, trained and then passed overto the Hereafter where he will stay forever. Thepossessions and blessings of this world, althoughcreated similar to their originals in Heaven, actuallypossess many defects and weaknesses. For they areonly intended to make man remember the Hereafter.

However, the unbelievers are not capable of

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comprehending this fact, so they act as if the things ofthis world are their sole objectives. Yet, this is whollydeceptive, since, the entirely temporary and defectivefavours of the world are far away from satisfyingman who is created for the beauties of eternalperfection. Allah describes how the world is atemporary place full of deception:

“Know that the life of this world is only play andamusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you,andrivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likenessof vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to thetiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow;then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) asevere torment, and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and(His) Good Pleasure, whereas the life of this world is only adeceiving enjoyment.” (Surat al-Hadid, 57:20)

Just as it is told in the Qur’an, all of the ignorantpeople live only for a few objectives such as richesand children and mutual boasting among themselves.In another verse the goods and chattels of deceptionin the world are thus described:

“Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet:Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver;horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of)cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of thisworld’s life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals(to return to). Say: Shall I give you glad tidings of things Far

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better than those? For the righteous are Gardens innearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath; thereinis their eternal home; with companions pure (and holy); andthe good pleasure of Allah. For in Allah’s sight are (all) Hisservants” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:14-15)

The life of this world is extremely rudimentaryand lacking in worth when compared to the eternallife in the Hereafter. To express this, the originalArabic word for the “world” has the connotation of a“scanty, crowded, dirty place”. People consider thattheir 60-70 year long life on this earth will be long anda satisfying one. Yet, in a very short time death comesand all areburied in their graves. As a matter of fact,as death comes closer one realizes how short a timehe has stayed in this world. On the Day ofResurrection, Allah will question the people.

“He will say: ‘What number of years did you stay onearth?’ They will reply: ‘We stayed a day or part of a day:but ask those who keep account.’ He will say: ‘You stayedbut a little-if you had only known! Did you think that We hadcreated you in jest, and that you would never be broughtback to Us?’ ” (Surat al-Mumenoon, 23:112-115)

Denying Allah and disregarding the Hereafter, inthe life-long pursuit of worldly greed will meaneternal punishment in Hell-Fire. Those who conductthemselves in this way are described in the Qur’an as

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“people who buy the life of this world at the price ofthe Hereafter”. For them Allah decrees: "Theirpenalty shall not be lightened, nor shall they behelped.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:86)

Another verse states:

“Those who rest not their hope on their meeting withUs, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of thepresent,, and those who heed not Our Signs; their abode isthe Fire, because of the evil they earned.”(Surah Yunus,10:7-8)

Those who forget that this world is only atemporary place for trial and who are not careful ofAllah’s Signs, but are satisfied only with the worldlyplay and amusements of this life, assume them astheir own, and even deify them will surely deservethe grevious penalty. The Qur’an describes the statusof such people:

“Then, as for him who transgresses all bounds, andprefers the life of this world, then surely the hell, that is theabode.” (Surat an-Naziat, 79:37-39)

20 The Real Owner of All Possessions

Most often, it is the fight for possessions that leadspeople to sorrow and pain. In fact, the entire life of

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the unbelievers rests upon the greed for “havingproperty”. They always struggle to have more,making this the real aim of their life.

However, this "rivalry in respect of wealth andchildren” (Surat al-Hadid, 57:20) is a total deception,since, the dominion of all possessions on earth is ofAllah. People only fool themselves by thinking thatthey really own something, since they have neithercreated the things they possess, nor have they thepower to keep them alive and ever-lasting. Nor canthey avoid their own destruction. Furthermore, theyhave no status to “possess” anything, because theyare “possessed” by another being. This SuperiorBeing is “the King (or Ruler) of Mankind” (Surat an-Nas, 114:2) Who is Allah. The Qur’an informs us thatthe entire universe is possessed by Allah: “To Himbelongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and allbetween them , and all beneath the soil.” (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:6). Another verse extends this to Allah, powerto forgive or punish: “Do you not know that to Allahalone belongs the dominion of the heavens and theearth? He punishes whom He pleases, and Heforgives whom He pleases: and Allah has power overall things.” (Surat al-Maeda, 5:40)

As a matter of fact, Allah has given all possessions

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to people as a temporary “trust” in this world. Thistrust will last for a certain period of time and whenthe day of judgement comes, everyone will be askedto account for his conduct.

In this day of judgement, each one will be askedabout his intentions and purpose in using this “trust”given to him. Those who considered themselvesowners rather than trustees, and revolted against theProphets by saying, “Does your prayer commandyou that we leave off doing what we like with ourproperty?” (Surah Hud, 11:87), deserve severepunishment. The Qur’an describes what will happento them:

“And let not those who covetously withhold of thatwhich Allah has bestowed on them of His Bounty think thatit is good for them. Nay, it will be worse for them; the thingswhich they covetously withheld shall be tied to their neckslike a collar on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allahbelongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allahis Well–Acquainted with all that you do.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:180)

As mentioned in the Qur’an, all the gifts given toman by Allah, by His Grace, is for him to spend withno “covetous withholding”. So, instead of trying toown and preserve these possessions, one shouldexpend them in the way Allah commands. This

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means that the believer will use the proper amountthat is necessary for his maintenance and then spend“what is beyond his needs” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:219). Ifhe does not act accordingly and tries to “keep” all hiswealth, then this will mean that he sees himself as itsowner. Yet, the punishment for this kind of behaviouris of a very serious nature. In the Qur’an this isexplained thus:

“...And there are those who bury gold and silver andspend it not in the way of Allah: announce unto them a mostgrievous penalty. On the Day, when it will (all) be heated inthe fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads,their flanks, and their backs. (and it will be said unto them):‘This is the (treasure) which you buried for yourselves: tasteyou, then, the treasures you buried‘” (Surat at-Tawba,9:34-35)

There is “economy” in Islam, but no “piling uppossessions”. The believers do not trust in thematerial things they keep or accumulate for “the baddays”, but only in Allah. So, Allah increases theirwealth in return. Allah gives them more than theyspend in His way, and increases their blessings. Thisis stated in a verse as follows:

"The parable of those who spend their property in theway of Allah is as the parable of a grain growing sevenears(with) a hundred grains in every ear. Allah multiplies forwhom He pleases; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing."

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(Surat al-Baqara, 2:261)

On the contrary, the situation of the one who doesnot spend in the way of Allah is that of one “whopiles up wealth and keeps on counting it, thinkingthat his wealth would make him last for ever. By nomeans! He will be sure to be thrown into the crushingFire. And what will make you know what thecrushing Fire is? It is the Fire of Allah kindled (to ablaze).” (Surat al-Humaza, 104:2-6)

21 Being Grateful to Allah

Allah has created everything with a purpose; justlike His blessings. Each one of these blessings—ourlife, faith, sustenance, health, eyes, and ears—is anendowment for mankind to be grateful to Allah.

Once we leave heedlessness and ignorancebehind, and start to think and see with reasoning, weshall surely realise that everything around us isindeed a favour granted by our Creator Allah. All thefood that we eat, the air that we breath, all thebeauties around us, in particulars, our eyes that let ussee all these things — everything is a blessing ofAllah. These are so numerous that the Qur’an says:“If you would count up the favours of Allah, never

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would you be able to number them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat an-Nahl,16:18)

And, undoubtedly, all these favours are given forsome reason. Nothing is created for us simply to useas we wish. On the contrary, the reason for allthosefavours - no matter what - is to instructmankind towards Allah; because everything given,necessitates gratitude in return. Allah is the One Whocontinuously gives all the blessing; we should,therefore, show our sincere gratitude only to Him.

Gratefulness is both a great prayer and also a wayto protect us from “transgressing”. Without it, peoplehave a tendency towards depravity and evil,forgetting their weaknesses and becoming haughty,the richer and more powerful they become. Showingour gratitude to Allah saves us from such“depravity”. Those who show their gratefulness toAllah do so in the knowledge that everything theyobtain is given by Allah, to Whom they alwaysbelong. They know that they are responsible for usingthese blessings in the way of Allah and only as Hewills. It was this gratitude to Allah that underlay themodesty and maturity of the prophets, such asDavud (David) or Suleyman (Solomon) to whomgreat possessions, states and sovereignty were given.

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The actual problem of Karun (Qarun), who becamedepraved on account of his possessions, was indeedthat of being ungrateful to Allah.

If a believer demonstrates that he will not becomearrogant and impertinent with the blessings or richeshe is given, Allah shall give him more. “...If you aregrateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; but ifyou show ingratitude, truly, My punishment isterrible indeed.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:7)

Gratitude should not be shown merelywithwords, it should be shown rather by utilizingeach favour in a way approved of by Allah. Believersare responsible for using everything that they havebeen given, in the way of Allah. First of all, all thebelievers should start using whatever they possess,and foremost the body Allah has endowed themwith, to strive for His cause. The Qur’an also informsus that we may show our gratitude to Allah byproclaiming all of His blessings, that is, bycommunicating His "message" to all:

"Veri ly your Guardian-Lord wil l give you (thatwherewith) you shall be well-pleased. Did He not find you anorphan and give you shelter? Did He not find you wandering,and give you guidance? Did He not find you in need, andmake you rich? Therefore, treat not the orphan withharshness, nor repulse the petitioner (unheard); and

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proclaim the bounty of your Lord!” (Surat ad-Dhuha, 93:5-11)

22 Our On-Going Test

As we have stated in the beginning, nothing onearth is created in vain, but rather with wisdom.Understanding this fact depends on the wisdom ofpeople themselves. One whose faith andconsequently whose wisdom and prudence increase,will happen to grasp this reasoning much better intime.

One of the most important precepts is that we arebeing tested throughout our whole lives. Allah testsour sincerity and our faith on different occasions. Hemay give favours to test whether we are grateful toHim or not. He may create difficulties, for us, toreveal whether we behave with patience or not:“Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We testyou by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us youwill be returned.” (Surat al-Anbiya, 21:35)

We are to be tested in various ways. This isexplained in the Qur’an in the verse below:

“Be sure we shall test you with fear and hunger,someloss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but

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give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.” (Suratal-Baqara, 2:155)

Our lives have indeed been planned with themystery of our being tested. First of all, we are beingtested in our physical beings. The Qur’an states that“Verily We created Man from a drop of mingledsperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the giftsof) hearing and sight.” (Surat al-Insan, 76:2).Consequently, everything we hear and see is actuallya part of the test. In all kinds of situations, we will betested to see whether we behave in accordance withthe Qur’an or with our own vain desires.

Allah tests the steadfastness of the believers withvarious difficulties. One of the most important ofthese is the oppression of the believers by theunbelievers. All these misdeeds, like verbal attacks,mocking, physical oppression and even torture andmurder attempts, are only a means of trial for thebelievers. In one of the verses; it is said:

“You shall cer tainly be tried and tested in yourpossessions and in your personal selves; and you shallcertainly hear much that will grieve you, from those whoreceived the Book before you and from those who worshipmany gods. But if you persevere patiently, and guardagainst evil, then that will be a determining factor in allaffairs.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:186)

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The most important point to comprehend is thatall of these deprivations and misadventures arecreated by Allah as a special kind of test. One whodoes notunderstand this will become very superficial.The Qur’an cites a pertinent tale of certain Jews.

“Ask them concerning the town standing close by thesea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath.For on the day of their Sabbath, their fish did come to them,openly holding up their heads, but on the day they had noSabbath, they came not: thus did We made a trial for them,for they were given to transgression.” (Surat al-A’raf,7:163)

Only the individual who has wisdom can realizethat he is being tested, and can succeed in these testsby again using his wisdom. Therefore, a believershould not forget that he is being tested throughouthis life. These tests cannot be passed or the heavencannot be attained simply by saying ‘I believe’.

“Do men think that they will be left alone on saying ‘Webelieve’, and that they will not be tested? We did test thosebefore them, and Allah will certainly know those who aretrue from those who are false.” (Surat al-Ankaboot, 29:2-3)

And in another verse Allah says:

“Did you think that you would enter Heaven withoutAllah testing those of you who fought hard (in His Cause)and remained steadfast?” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:142)

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23 Allah Does Not Place A Burden Greater

Than One Can Bear

A significant portion of the community claim thatit is hard for them to practise religion, and that that isthe only reason they do not follow its principles. Inthis way they expect to lessen their guilt. But theydeceive nobody but themselves.

Allah burdens no one beyond the limits of hisstrength. As the Qur’an says: “On no soul does Allahplace a burden greater than it can bear. It gets everygood that it earns, and it suffers every ill that itearns.”(Surat al-Baqara, 2:286)

Another verse asserts that the religion that Allahhas chosen for us is as easy as the religion of Ibrahim(Abraham):

“Strive in His cause as you ought to strive. He haschosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you inreligion; it is the religion of your father Ibrahim(Abraham). Itis He Who has named you Muslims, both before and inthis(Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you,and you be witnesses for mankind! So, establish regularprayer, give regular charity, and hold fast to Allah! He isyour Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help!”(Surat al-Hajj, 22:78)

When this is the case, it is plainly deceitful for

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anyone to claim that it is hard to practise religion andto put this forward as a reason for defaulting. He candeceive no one with such an explanation but himself.

24 No Love for the Unbelievers

In order to live by the morals of the Qur’an, oneshould completely renounce the culture and moralvalues of the profane society. One of the first things tobe abnegated is the understanding of love in aprofane society.

In a profane society, all relations and love arebased on selfish interests. One person gets along withanother well only if there is some benefit to be gainedfrom him or if he is being taken care of by the other orat least is being well-treated by him. Anothermeasure is the family tie. People love others justbecause they are from the same family; or from thesame dynasty, or from the same society, or sometimeseven from the same nation.

However, these are not the criteria for thebelievers. Because believers love Allah more thananything or anyone.

“There are some among men who take forthemselvesobjects of worship besides Allah, whom they

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love as they love Allah, and those who believe are strongerin love for Allah” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:165)

Believers, respecting Allah above all else, lovethose who love Allah, and dislike those who disobeyHim. It makes no difference whether those subject totheir approval or disapproval are close to them ornot. This point is elaborated in the Qur’an:

“You will not find any people who believe in Allah andthe Last Day, loving (and befriending) those who resist Allahand His Messenger, even though they were their (own)fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. Forsuch He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthenedthem with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them togardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allah is well pleased with them, and they with Him.They are the party of Allah. Truly, it is the party of Allah thatwill achieve felicity.” (Surat al-Mujadila, 58:22)

Having even a little love for the unbelieverswould never be a proper attitude for a believer.Believers are seriously warned against this in theQur’an:

"O you who believe! Take not my enemies and yours asfriends (or protectors), offering them (your) love, eventhough they have rejected the Truth that has come to you,and have (on the contrary) driven out the Prophet andyourselves (from your homes), (simply) because you believein Allah your Lord! If you have come out to strive in My Way

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and to seek My Good Pleasure, (how) you holdsecretconverse of love (and friendship) with them?I knowfull well all that you conceal and all that you reveal. And anyof you that does this has strayed from the StraightPath"(Surat al-Mumtahina, 60:1)

The behaviour of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)and those that followed him is an excellent examplefor all believers:

“There is for you an excellent example (to follow) inIbrahim (Abraham) and those with him, when they said totheir people: ‘We are clear of you and of whatever youworship besides Allah: we have rejected you, and there hasarisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever,unless you believe in Allah and Him alone’” (Surat al-Mumtahina,60:4)

25 Regarding Nothing Dearer Than Allah, His

Messenger and Striving in His Cause

The sole obligation of a believer is to serve Allah.The one and only reason for our existence is to be Hisservants. Life based on any other reasoning than this,means denial of the religion and worshipping idolsbesides Allah, which will consequently lead to Hell.

In other words, life is only a tool for a believer. Heshould regard every moment of his life as a means of

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getting closer to Allah and serving His cause. If thistool ever turns into his aim—which is indeed true ofthe unbelievers — he will soon find himself in greatdanger.

Believers live for only one cause; and that is toserve Allah, and for this they have abandoned theworld. Allah explains this as:

“Allah has purchased of the believers their persons andtheir properties; for theirs (in return) is the garden(ofParadise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain:a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Torah, theGospel, and the Qur’an: and who is more faithful to hiscovenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which youhave concluded: that is the achievement supreme.” (Suratat-Tawba, 9:111)

The believers have sold their lives and goods toAllah and have no further title to them. Their entirelives are conducted in the way that Allah commands.If Allah offers them a blessing, they are grateful toHim, and when He commands them to strive in Hiscause, they do not feel a moment’s hesitancy, even ifthey know that they are going to their deaths.

Such believers do not shirk any form of self-sacrifice and nothing on earth can prevent them fromstruggling for Allah’s cause. They are able to leave

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behind all the beautiful blessings of Allah and cangive up their very lives without any hesitation. Onthe contrary, the opposite behavior would be the signthat they had not sold their goods and lives to Allahas yet. Such a deficiency in faith will be marked downagainst them in the life to come.

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, yourmates, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, thecommerce in which you fear a decline, or the dwellings inwhich you delight are dearer to you than Allah, or HisMessenger, or striving in His cause then wait until Allahbrings about His decision. Allah guides not the rebellious."(Surat at-Tawba, 9:24)

This faith was so strong in the companions of theProphet Mohammed that, not only did they neverrefuse to fight, but there were some, on the contrary,who even wept when they did not have theopportunity to go into battle along with Mohammed.In the verse below, Allah explains the differencebetween the sincere and the half-hearted:

“There is no blame on those who are infirm, or ill or whofind no resources to spend (on the cause), if they aresincere (in duty) to Allah and His Messenger. No ground ofcomplaint can there be against the good-doers: Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Nor (is there blame) on those whocame to you to be provided with mounts, and when you said‘I can find no mounts for you’, they turned back, their eyes

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streaming with tears of grief that they had no resources tospend (on the cause). The way (to blame) is only againstthose who ask permission of you though they are rich; theyprefer to stay with the those who remain behind: Allah hassealed their hearts; so they know not.” (Surat at-Tawba,9:91-93)

26 Neither Weakening, Nor Sorrow Nor Despair

The believers have a long and hard struggle in theway of Allah. Their path may beset by enemies, manyin number, and better equipped. However, so long asthey follow Allah’s Way, the believers inevitablyovercome these enemies.

One of the reasons for their victory is that, asbelievers, they carry out this struggle with greatenthusiasm and excitement. This is something thatunbelievers cannot do; because, being devoted to thislife, they are unfaithful to Allah. They have fears andweaknesses, and immediately give up whenconfronted with difficulties. On the contrary,believers never weaken since they know that Allah isalways with them and they will be the ones tosucceed. This is described in the Qur’anic versebelow:

“Many a Prophet fought (in Allah’s Cause), and along

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with him (fought) large bands of religious learned men. Butthey never lost heart which did befall them in Allah's Way,nor did they weaken nor give in. Allah Loves those who arefirm and steadfast.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:146)

However, believers need to pray for thisenthusiasm and excitement, for it is easy to fall a preyto faint-heartedness - something for which Satanstrives very hard. At a moment of crisis, thehypocrites said to the companions of the ProphetMohammed: “O people of Yathrib(al-Madinah)!There is no stand (possible) for you (against theenemy attack)! Therefore go back!” (Surat al-Ahzab,33:13), thus trying to create a feeling of despair andbring about a consequent defeat. But the believers arewarned in the Qur’an about all these dubious factors:“So patiently persevere: for verily the promise ofAllah is true: nor let those shake your firmness, whohave (themselves) no certainty of faith.” (Surat ar-Room, 30:60)

The believer is responsible only for himself andshould not be affected by the weaknesses of others.Neither should the strength of enemies affect andfrighten him. The whole life of believers is for Allahand they will go on praying for His good pleasure tillthe end of their lives. In one verse, it is decreed:

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“So lose not heart and nor fall into despair: you shallhave the upper hand if you are true in Faith.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:139)

“Slacken not in following up the enemy: If you aresuffering hardship, they are suffering similar hardships; butyou have hope from Allah, while they have none. And Allahis full of knowledge and wisdom.” (Surat an-Nisa, 4:104)

27 Humbling One's Self in Prayer

Prayer is very important since it is the visibleexpression of man’s being a Muslim. However, TheQur’an expresses disapproval of such prayer as isoffered without sincerity:

“ Woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of theirprayers; Those who (want but) to be seen (of man).” (Suratal-Maun, 107:4-6)

That means that what makes our regular prayersproper is not the actual movements, e.g. bowing,prostrating oneself, etc., but their aim and the kind ofthought given to them. Some people pray just toshow others that they are “Muslims,” but instead ofgaining ground with Allah, they are committing agreat transgression.

What gives our prayers rectitude is our

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consciousness that we are prostrating ourselvesbefore Allah only in order to express our devotion toHim. That is why Allah commands believers to“stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind.)”(Surat al-Baqara, 2:238)

Another verse describes the believers as "thosewho offer their prayers with all solemnity andsubmissiveness.” (Surat al-Mumenoon, 23:2).Solemnity in this verse means experiencing fearaccompanied by deep respect and having one’s heartfilled with awe. Such a prayer increases one's faithand closeness to Allah. It keeps man standing firm.

In another verse regular prayers are described:

“Recite the what is sent of the Book by inspiration toyou, and establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains fromshameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah isthe greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knowsthe (deeds) that you do.” (Surat al-Ankaboot, 29:45)

28 Celebrating the Praises of Allah

All topics of faith that we have mentioned tillnow, require a complete devotion to Allah, to live andto struggle for Him. This dedication cannot beattained unless there is a close contact with Allah and

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the way to it, is through “remembering and turningto Allah”. Believers should remember their Creator,always, praise Him and turn to Him in repentance ascommanded in the Qur’an: “Believers! Celebrate thepraises of Allah, and do this often.” (Surat al-Ahzab,33:42)

This is what will make the believer “a companionof Allah” just like the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).

Accordingly, the believers should be grateful toAllah for the favor given to them, and ask forrepentance from Allah for their evil deeds. Moreover,they should call on Allah for everything they needand praise Him as often as they can.

“Bring your Lord to remembrance in your (very) soul,with humility and in reverence, without loudness in words, inthe mornings and in the evenings; and do not be of thosewho are unheedful.” (Surat al-A’raf, 7:205)

It is expressed thus in another verse: “...andremembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life)without doubt....” (Surat al-Ankaboot, 29:45). Withoutremembrance of Allah, all prayers would lose theirvalue. If these prayers are not performed byremembering Allah and seeking for His goodpleasure, then they may be turned into unpaid deeds.When the Qur’an informs us about the attributes of

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the prophets, it emphasizes how they turn to Allah.In the 30th verse of Surah 38 (Sad), Allah says, “toDawud (David) We gave Sulaiman (Solomon) - Howexcellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!” ofthe Prophet Ayub (Job), Allah says: “Truly, We foundhim full of patience and constancy. How excellent inOur service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!” (Surah Sad,38:44)

29 Remembering Allah In Adversity

Life’s goal for a believer is to worship Allah. Oneof the most significant ways of worshipping is donethrough communicating Allah’s message to peopleeverywhere, and struggling against the companionsof Satan. This struggle is usually very severe andharsh because most of the time “the companions ofSatan" are better equipped.

The believers are unaffected by this, because theyare aware of the real cause and effect functioning ofthe world. And this reality tells them that victory hasnothing to do with superiority in numbers orstrength, but with the command and will of Allah.Indeed, true religion has to its credit many victoriesof faith: “How often, by Allah’s will, has a small force

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vanquished a big one? Allah is with those whosteadfastly persevere.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:249) It ispure faith that leads to victory. This mysterious truth,which cannot be understood by unbelievers, isexplained in the verse below:

“O you who believe! When you meet a force, be firm,and call Allah in remembrance much (and often), that youmay prosper.”(Surat al-Anfal,8:45)

30 Reciting The Revelations of Allah

As expressed in the 7th verse of the 73rd Surah(al- Muzzammil), there are prolonged occupationsin the day time for the believers. Surely, theseoccupations are for the benefit of religion even if theymay require the believers to function in irreligiousenvironments, becoming involved in profanesocieties.

Even in the midst of these worldly affairs thebelievers keep their faith in Allah and never lose sightof the spiritual point of view.

“Men whom neither trade nor sale can divert from theremembrance of Allah, nor from regular prayer, nor from thepractice of regular charity. Their (only) fear is for the Daywhen men’s hearts and eyes will overturned (from horror)”(Surat an-Nur, 24:37)

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An important aspect of this virtue is keeping therevelations of Allah in mind. In the Qur'an, thisimportant practice is emphasised in the followingverse: “And recite what is revealed to you inyourhomes, of the Signs of Allah and His Wisdom:for Allah understands the finest mysteries and iswell-acquainted (with them).” (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:34).As long as believers keep the Qur’an’s verses in mind,they will correctly construe their manifestations indaily life and, in consequence, will feel closer toAllah.

31 Avoiding Profane Talk

Believers are not interested in profane and uselesstalk and affairs. They find no satisfaction in suchthings and for them they are without value. Theybecome involved in worldly affairs only if somebenefit is to accrue to the cause of Allah. That is whybelievers are described in Qur’an as those “who avoidvain talk.” (Surat al-Mumenoon, 23:3)

The above verse emphasizes that when a believercomes in contact with profane talk or events, heshould turn his back and do something else useful forthe divine Cause. This is the right behavior to please

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Allah. In order to do this, the believers should alwaysbe cautious, and know what they are doing. It wouldnot be appropriate for a believer to argue withignorant and shallow people except where some gainis to be achieved for the Cause. The Qur’an explainsthe ideal manner:

“When they hear vain talk, they turn away therefromandsay: ‘To us our deed and to you yours; peace be to you: weseek not the ignorant.’ ” (Surat al-Qasas, 28:55)

“They who do not bear witness to what is false, andwhen they pass by what is vain, they pass by nobly.” (Suratal-Furqan, 25:72)

When a believer becomes free from his currentwork, he should continue with another useful task.As the verse explains: “Therefore, when you are free(from your immediate task), still labour hard, And toyour Lord turn (all) your attention.” (Surat al-Inshirah,94:7-8)

32 Being Moderate

To be moderate necessitates behaviour whichremains within the boundaries of the Qur’an: that is,doing what is lawful and avoiding what is forbidden.This requires a well-balanced outlook. When

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believers become involved with profane societies,they should never act as their members do. Believersshould always obey what has been decreed by theQur’an, remaining consistently temperate in theirapproach.

However, this is definitely not something to bedone just when the believers are in a society otherthan their own; they should also be of the sametemper among the believers. There are also somesituations when special attention should be paid topropriety:

“O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above thevoice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk as youmay speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds becomevain and you perceive not.” (Surat al-Hujraat, 49:2)

Moreover, the risk of behaving immoderatelymayeven occur in doing something which is legitimate.This is because not every manner fits every situation.A way of speaking or behaving may sometimes be“unsuitable” or “improper” although it is notforbidden. That is why the believer should avoidbeing sharp-tongued or indulging in any otherextremes of behaviour. He should try to develop hispersonality so as not to become nervous or veryexcited, and should never lose his temper or

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misbehave. The Qur’an expresses disapproval ofconduct which is not consistently marked bymoderation:

“No misfortune befalls on the earth or in yourselves butis inscribed in the Book of Decrees, before We bring it intoexistence. Verily, that is easy for Allah. In order that youmay not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exultover favours bestowed upon you. For Allah does not loveany vainglorious boaster.” (Surat al-Hadid, 57:22-23)

33 The Angels Are Witness

People think that they are “all alone” if they arenot seen by others. However, this is notreally true. First of all, Allah is always with us, andsees and hears everything we do. Moreover, there arealso invisible witnesses beside us who never leave us.These are the angels assigned to be our guardians,who record everything we do. The Qur’an informs usabout this mystery:

“It was We Who created man, and We know what darksuggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to himthan (his) jugular vein. Behold, two (guardian angels)appointed to learn (his doings and note them), one sittingon the right and one on the left. Not a word does he utterbut there is a sentinel by him, ready (to note it) (Surah Qaf,50:16-18)

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What is noted down by these angels shall berevealed on the Day of Judgment, when people willbe interrogated about their deeds on earth. TheQur’anexplains what will happen on that day:

“Then he who is given his book in his right hand, soonwill his account be taken by an easy recknoning, and he willreturn to his people, rejoicing! But he who is given his bookbehind his back, soon will he cry for perdition and he willenter a blazing fire. Truly he lived among his people (in theworld), rejoicing! Truly he thought that he would not have toreturn to Us! Nay, for his Lord was (ever) watchful of him!”(Surat al-Inshiqaq, 84:7-15)

34 Writing Down Transactions

People, by nature, are forgetful. That is why Allahcommands the believers to write down transactionsbetween them in the presence of witnesses:

“O you who believe! when you deal with each other incontracting a debt for a fixed time, then write it down; andlet a scribe write it down between you with fairness; and thescribe should not refuse to write asAllah has taught him, sohe should write; and let him who owes the debt dictate, andhe should be careful of (his duty to) Allah, his Lord, and notdiminish anything from it; but if he who owes the debt isunsound in understanding, or weak, or (if) he is not able todictate himself, let his guardian dictate with fairness; andcall in to witness from among your men two witnesses; but

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if there are not two men, then one man and two womenfrom among those whom you choose to be witnesses, sothat if one of the two errs, the second of the two mayremind the other; and the witnesses should not refuse whenthey are summoned; and be not averse to writing it (whetherit is) small or large, with the time of its falling due; this ismore equitable in the sight of Allah and assures greateraccuracy in testimony, and the nearest (way) that you maynot entertain doubts (afterwards), except when it is readymerchandise which you give and take among yourselvesfrom hand to hand, then there is no blame on you in notwriting it down; and have witnesses when you barter withone another, and let no harm be done to the scribe or to thewitness; and if you do (it) then surely it wil l be atransgression in you, and be careful of (your duty) to Allah,Allah teaches you, and Allah knows all things.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:282)

In another verse, it is stated that it would be betterto remit debts:

“If the debtor is in difficulty, grant him time till it is easyfor him to repay. But if you remit it by way of charity, that isbest for you if you only knew.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:280)

35 Saying Something Which One Will Not Do

Believers are obligated to keep their promises, justas decreed in the Qur’an: “Fulfill (every) engagement,for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the

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Day of Reckoning).” (Surat al-Isra, 17:34)

Being trustworthy is one of the foremostcharacteristics of the believers. All the messengershave proved their righteousness to their people andbeen know as trustworthy and decent people.Fulfilling every engagement is a significant part ofthis trustworthiness.

Believers should keep their promises, and nevercommit themselves to anything which they thinkthey will not be able to fulfill. It is said in the Qur’anas follows:

“O you who believe, why do you say that which you donot do? Greviously odious is it in the sight of Allah that yousay that you do not do.” (Surat as-Saff, 61:2-3)

36 No Dispute Among the Believers

One of the secrets of the believers’ success is thewarm brotherhood and solidarity among them. TheQur’an emphasizes the importance of unity: “Truly,Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battlearray as if they were a solid cemented structure.”(Surat as-Saff, 61:4)

Any statement or behaviour that may damage

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this close brotherhood would be an adversary actagainst religion itself. Allah warns the believersagainst this threat in the Qur'an:

“Obey Allah and His Messenger; and fall into nodisputes, lest you lose heart and your power depart; and bepatient and persevering: for Allah is with those whopatiently persevere.” (Surat al-Anfal, 8:46)

Hence, the sincere believer must be extremelycautious of entering into such disputes, avoidingwords or manners that may hurt his brothers.Moreover, he should behave in such as way astoincrease affection and confidence among them. Inthe Qur’an, we have the clear decree:

“Say to My servants that they should only say thosethings that are best: for Satan sows dissensions amongthem: Satan is to man an avowed enemy.” (Surat al-Isra,17:53)

If a believer does not have the same opinion as hisbrother on some issue, he should nevertheless behaveand talk in the most modest and humble way.Sharing ideas should remain on the basis of“consultation” and not “debate”. If a contention isobserved among two other believers, then what oneshould do is indicated in the verse below:

“The believers are but a single Brotherhood. So make

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peace and reconciliation between your two (contending)brothers; and fear Allah, so that you may receive HisMercy.” (Surat al-Hujraat, 49:10)

It should be noted that even a minor argument ofany kind may have very negative effects on theCause.

37 Seeking Allah’s Protection from Satan While

Reading the Qur’an

The Qur’an is the divine book revealed by Allah toguide mankind. While it helps increase the faith ofthe believers, it exposes the denial of the unbelievers.

“He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it areverses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); theyare the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. Butthose in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereofthat is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for itshidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meaningsexcept Allah. And those who are firmly grounded inknowledge say: ‘We believe in the Book; the whole of it isfrom our Lord’, and none will grasp the Message except menof understanding.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:7)

That means that some verses of the Qur’an havethe capacity both to reveal the transgressions of“those whose hearts are flawed by perversity” and to

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increase the faith and submission of the believers.

It should be noted, however, that no one canguarantee that he will continue to preserve his faith.Believers may also lose the Qur’anic point of viewwith the effect of Satan’s temptations. Naturally theywould not perceive the wisdom in the Qur’an if theyread it while under the sway of Satan. That is whyAllah commands believers to seek refuge in Himfrom the evil influence of Satan before reading theQur’an: “When you read the Qur’an, seek Allah’sprotection from Satan, the rejected one.” (Surat an-Nahl, 16:98)

This command of Allah is important for itreminds believers of Satan's constant presence andunceasing activities. Indeed, Satan is ever at work,lying in wait for people on Allah’s straight path, andtrying to assault them “from before and behind, fromtheir right and from their left.” The strategies of Satanhave been explained in many verses of the Qur'an.Thus salvation from the deceits of Satan can beachieved only through the Qur’an, which warns usagainst Satan’s tricks and tells us to avoid them. As

expressed in the 42nd verse of Surat al-Hijr, “Satanhas no authority over Allah's servants.” The solutionis to accept the Qur’an as the only guide and to read it

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after seeking refuge in Allah from the rejected Satan.

38 Being Considerate

The members of a profane society are, in the main,rude, uncaring and inconsiderate. The reason

for this is the egoism of the unbelievers. They allthink of their own benefit. Others have noimportance for them.

However, a real group of believers are completelydifferent from such people, because one of thesignificant characteristics of the believers is theirrefusal to fall a prey to their own greed. Believerswho overcome their vain desires, will naturally becaring and considerate towards other believers. TheQur’an tells of that kind of self-sacrificingrelationship between the refugees who fled withMohammed to Medina and the faithful people ofMedina who helped them:

“And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those whoemigrate to them, and entertain no desire in their hearts forthings given to the (latter), and give them (emigrants)preference over themselves, even though they were in needof that. And those saved from the covetousness in their ownsouls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity. ” (Surat al-

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Hashr, 59:9)

As is also mentioned in this verse, the believersshould give other believers preference overthemselves. That is true faith, submission andbrotherhood.

To give other believers preference is not confinedonly to offering them physical terms. Brotherhood isalso imparted with thoughtfulness. A believer mustconsider the needs and problems of his brother morethan those of himself.

Rude and inconsiderate manners show theinsufficiency of a person's faith. A person who is notable to consider how his acts will affect the otherbelievers, and who acts only according to his own"wishes" and "as he likes", is far removed from theexample of the believer depicted by Allah. TheQur'an emphasizes this subject with many examplesof both considerate and inconsiderate actions. Andthe most important is surely to be gracious andrespectful to Allah’s Messenger:

“O you who believe, do not put yourselves forwardbefore Allah and His Messenger; but fear Allah: for Allah isHe Who hears and knows all things.” (Surat al-Hujraat,49:1)

“O you who believe, do not enter the Prophet’s houses-

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until leave is given you- for a meal (and then) not (so earlyas) to wait for its preparation: But when you are invited,enter; and when you have taken your meal, disperse,withoutseeking familiar talk. Such (behaviour) annoys theProphet: he is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is notashamed (to tell you) the truth. When you ask (his wives)for anything you want, ask them from behind a curtain: thatis purer for your hearts and for their hearts. Nor is it rightfor you that you to cause annoyance to the messenger ofAllah, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him.Truly, such a thing is in Allah’s sight an enormity.” (Suratal-Ahzab, 33:53)

People who are reared on the teachings of theQur’an are noble, polite, upright and considerate.This is the natural attitude of the believer who givespreference to his brothers over himself and who feedfor the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan and thecaptive. Being considerate is a characteristic of thecompanions of Paradise. For instance; not disturbinga brother while he is on an important task, keepingsilent when believers pray, making the believers ascomfortable as possible, asking if they needsomething and serving them without being askedmay be given as examples to kind behaviour.However, these are only a few examples, and theseconsiderate manners may amount to hundreds andthousands according to changing conditions.

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39 Turning away from the Ignorant

In the Qur’an, the believers are described as in theverses below:

“The servants of Allah (Most Gracious) are those whowalk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant addressthem, they say, `Peace!’” (Surat al-Furqan, 25:63)

“And when they hear vain talk, they turn awaytherefrom and say: ‘To us our deed and to you yours; peacebe to you: we seek not the ignorant.’ ” (Surat al-Qasas,28:55)

Believers are innately peaceful, whereas thosewho disbelieve are extremely uneasy, restless andaggressive. It is as if their torment of hell had alreadystarted on earth. That is why they cause trouble andare also constantly faced with difficulties. However,believers do not even communicate with those peopleunless they attempt to give harm to the believers andIslam. They behave honorably, as the above versesdescribe. When intervention is necessary, they donotbehave rudely, but in the most civilized and law-abiding way.

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40 Not Arguing About Things About Which One

Knows Nothing

In the Qur’an, man is typified as being“contentious in most things.” (Surat al-Kahf, 18:54) Inother verses, this criticism is levelled particularly atthe unbelievers:

“When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as anexample, behold, your people raise a clamour thereat (inridicule)! And they say: 'Are our gods best or he?' This theyset forth to you, only by way of disputation. Nay! they are acontentious people.” (Surat az-Zukhruf, 43:57-58)

The reason for this tendency to argue abouteverything is not to reveal and evaluate differentopinions, but to satisfy the urge to quarrel. In thearguments of the ignorant, neither side tries toevaluate the others' ideas or find a correct solution.Beating the other is the one and only aim. Thisexplains the loud voices and the tense attitude duringsuch arguments, and the turning of what shouldmerely be a discussion into a quarrel.

It is most abnormal surely, to argue over thingsabout which neither disputant has any certainknowledge. The most obvious example of this is to beseen in discussions of religion, about which thearguers are generally exceedingly ignorant. The error

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of such conduct is pointed out in the verse below:

“Verily, you are those who have disputed about that ofwhich you have knowledge. Why do you then disputeconcerning that which you have no knowledge? It is AllahWho knows, and you know not.” (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:66)

41 No Mocking

The following verse clearly tells us that thereshould be no mockery among the believers:

“O you who believe! Let not some men among youlaugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better thanthe (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It maybe that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor defamenor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by(offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connotingwickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: Andthose who do not repent are (indeed) doing wrong.” (Suratal-Hujraat, 49:11)

Allah tells people to refrain from mocking.Mockery can take many forms: open laughter atpersonal misadvantures, sly grins, verbal teasingunder the pretence of joking, or sidelong glances toconvey something which cannot be openly discussed.Such behaviour belongs to the culture of the ignorantand does not befit true believers. The Qur’an tells us

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that people who indulge in such behaviour will havetosuffer the Fire of Allah mounting on to their hearts.

“Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger and backbiter,who piles up wealth and keeps on counting it, thinking thathis wealth would make him last for ever. By no means! Hewill be sure to be thrown into the crushing Fire. And whatwill make you know what the crushing Fire is? It is the Fireof Allah kindled (to a blaze), which mounts to the hearts ofmen: Surely it shall be closed over upon them, (they will bepunished) in columns outstretched.” (Surat al-Humaza,104:1-9)

It is not possible for a believer to behave in anycynical manner after he knows this clear decree ofAllah. Indeed, no believer behaves in that waydeliberately. However, if ever a believer slips into thatmanner, he may be unaware of his wrong conductand taking it as fun. But whenever he realizes thatwhat he is doing is wrong, he should immediatelystop and repent.

42 Not Calling Believers By Nicknames

It is the habit of unbelievers to call each other byoffensive nicknames. The idea behind it is again tohumiliate others and to “prove” one’s ownsuperiority. The nickname may call attention to a

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physical defect or to past errors. The unbelievers donot forget wrongdoing and always remind the personof his mistakes, although he may not ever haverepeated them.

However, believers are different from them. Theyare forgiving, and there is a close brotherhood amongthem; they do not stoop to behave in this way.Moreover, Allah has ordered the believer neither to“defame nor be sarcastic to one another, nor call eachother by (offensive) nicknames.” (Surat al-Hujraat,49:11)

43 Being Worthy of Trust

The Qur’an describes the rendering back one'strusts to those to whom they are due as a moralprinciple and a way to success. Believers shouldalways respect the trust reposed in them and thuswin others' confidence in return. Besides, believersshould also determine to whom to hand the trusts,that is, to whom they are due. On this, the Qur’andelivers the following injunction:

“Allah commands you to render back your trusts tothose to whom they are due; and when you judge betweenman and man, that you judge with justice: Verily how

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excellent is the teaching which He gives you! For Allah is HeWho hears and sees all things.” (Surat An-Nisa, 4:58)

Another verse states.

“Whoever fulfills his promise and guards (against evil) -then surely Allah loves those who guard (against evil).”(Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:76)

A trust may be something of financial value, oratask or a matter of responsibility. The believersshould use their wisdom and sense of discriminationin determining those who are worthy of trust.

44 The Illusive Universe

A major flaw in any society which is ignorant ofthe precepts of Islam is its members’ view that thematerial world they touch and see is the greatest andmost absolute actuality of our earthly existence. Infact, they reckon that matter has an “eternal andnever-ending” existence. Eventually, they start todeify matter, and seek help only from it.Consequently, they start to think of Allah less andless and even deny His existence. Their perception ofAllah is of a “less realistic and more imaginary” beingwhen compared to matter. However, this is a greatmisconception on the part of the unbelievers. The

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absolute being is not matter, but Allah. The Qur’an isquite specific on this point:

“That is because Allah is the Reality; and those besidesHim whom they invoke are but vain Falsehood: verily Allahis He, Most High, Most Great.” (Surat al-Hajj, 22:62).

In truth, matter has the ability to exist only solongas it has been created by Allah. Its existence ispreserved only at His wish and by His command.Consequently, the permanence of the absoluteexistence of matter is out of the question: matter canexist only as a result of the “Be” command of Allah.Allah states this fact in the Qur’an in the followingverse:

“It is Allah Who sustains the heavens and the earth, lestthey cease to function: and if they should fail, not one cansustain them thereafter: verily, He is Most Forbearing, andOft-Forgiving. (Surat Fat’r, 35:41)

This means the complete world exists only withthe sustanence of Allah and when He so orders, itshall cease to exist. In fact, this means that the entireuniverse is made of illusive matter, which will endwhen commanded. This boundless will of Allah isbeyond comprehension, but dreams may be a way ofunderstanding this creation to a certain extent. Forinstance, when someone wakes up from a dream, the

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universe which existed with all its details in thedream will fade from existence and disappear sincethe reason for that universe’s existence is only one’sown mind during sleep. When the mind stops“forming” such a universe, it suddenly “disappears,”and does not exist anymore. Surely it had no materialor independent being at all.

The prominent Islamic scholar, Imam Rabbani,narrates this absolute truth (the narration has beensimplified and re-worded in translation):

“Allah has determined the reflection of each one of Hisnames (the Just, the often returning, the Compassionate,etc.) andhas given His attributes to the created ones. Andthe beings for this reflection were created out of sheernothingness. The One and Only Allah with His Powerdecreed a place of realization for His names and createdthem in the illusive (imaginary, supposed) universe.Moreover, He did this in the time and shape He wanted.

The existence of the universe is only in the illusive andsensational state and not in externality. In this case this is apermanence in nothingness and the illusive gains strengthand soundness with the creation of Allah. So, the createdbecomes alive, knowing, doing, asking, seeing, hearing andspeaking to the extent of His will. However, because of itsbeing a reflection and having only a shadow existence, thereis no trace of it externally. In the outside world, there isnothing other than Allah’s Being and His names.

Everything has appeared on the mirror of the Superior

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Being and in this way, they have acquired an externalappearance: they have looked as if existent in the outsideworld. But there is nothing other than this on the outside.There is no one and nothing but Allah.” (Mektubati Rabbani,Imam Rabbani, p.517-519)

Since there is no being other than Allah andeverything in the universe is a manifestation of HisBeing, then the author of all deeds is again theAlmighty. In the Qur’an this secret is revealed in anumber of verses:

“It was not you who slew them; it was Allah: when youthrew a handful of dust, it was not your act, but Allah’s:inorder that He might test the Believers by a gracious trialfrom Himself: for Allah is He Who hears and knows allthings.” (Surat al-Anfal, 8:17)

“But you will not, except as Allah wills; for Allah is fullof Knowledge and Wisdom.” (Surat al-Insan, 76:30)

“Remember when you met, He showed them to you asfew in your eyes, and He made you appear contemptible intheir eyes so that Allah might accomplish a matter alreadyenacted. For to Allah do all questions go back for decision.”(Surat al-Anfal, 8:44)

The world has an immanent face as well as anevident one. In the evident, everything looks to beindependent and uncontrolled. However, in theimmanent, in accordance with their illusory creation,

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everything has bowed to Allah's will. With the wordsof the Qur'an;

“I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There isnot a moving creature, but He has grasp of its fore-lock.Verily, it is my Lord Who is on a straight path” (Surah Hud,11:56)

Knowing that there is nothing other than Allah,unveils the secret reality that no one can do anythingby himself. This secret should always be in the mindsof the believers. Accordingly, the believers know thatall perversions and misdeeds of the unbelievers areagain decreed by Allah. Believers, therefore, interpretand evaluate all happenings according to theirimmanent implication. This helps them to do right,and to behave in a way which is most sincere,heedful, and wise.

They said: “Glory to You, of knowledge We have none,save what You Have taught us: In truth it is You Who areperfect in knowledge and wisdom.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:32)

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